IDNO

P.85770.ACH2

Description

On Catalogue Card for duplicate print P.266.ACH1: “Native wrestling.”

Two Aboriginal men wrestling together while a large group of spectators watching on from the background. They are the strongest men who have participated in the athletics games. They are oiled and throw dust on each other to have a better grip. [JD 23/8/2007, updated WV 6/4/2009]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Victoria; Darling River; Murray River

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Muetzel, Gustav [Artist]

Collector / Expedition

von Blandowski, William [Blandowski Expedition to the Lower Murray River, 1857]

Date

1861; 1862

Collection Name

Haddon Collection

Source

?Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.85724. to P.85811. were tied together in a bundle.

Bibliographical Reference: Blandowski, William von, 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen (Unpublished), with the caption “Aborigines of Australia, Plate 228. William v. Blandowski, Australia. Native wrestling”. The image is signed “G.M.61”. [JD 23/8/2007]

Bibliographical Reference: For discussion of authorship see: Allen, H. 2006. Authorship and ownership in Blandowski's Australien in 142 Photographischen Abbildungen. Australasian Historical Archaeology 24:31-37. [Jane Lydon, Monash University, 8/7/2009]

Publication: Blandowski, W. 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen Ahbildungen. Gustav Neumann, Gleiwicz. Edited by Harry Alien. Translated from the German by Lillian Barton. Translation Copyright: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 2007. with the caption:
“99. When this man is found they start the wrestling games, tournaments which do not involve the spectators. The men grease their bodies and meet in the shade of a tree. They use handfuls of dirt from the ground to make their opponent easier to grip. Only the viewing of a fight itself can give a good picture of the fighters and the suppleness of their muscles; a description through picture and words is not enough. Drawing by G. Mützel.” [WV 6/4/2009]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 23/8/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Aboriginal Visual Histories Project, Monash University. [Wonu Veys 6/4/2009]